Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 1018: Filial piety leads to strength
The poem says:

The White Emperor descends to the mortal realm, shaking the heavens; the Star Lord descends to earth, stirring up a raging storm. A thousand years of cause and effect are questioned today; let us see how a few words can unravel the mystery.

It is said that Bai Suzhen, in order to help Xu Xuan resolve his mortal tribulations, specially chose this auspicious day and time to ascend this ancient Ebo Terrace.

This platform is no ordinary structure; it was the sacred site where the ancient Fire Official Ebo observed Mars and worshipped the God of Fire. The platform is nine zhang and nine chi high, which corresponds to the number of the Double Ninth Festival. After thousands of years of worship and the influence of stellar power, it naturally possesses a spiritual quality.

That night, the stars hung low, seemingly within reach, while the bright moon was hidden behind layers of clouds, a time when the stars were at their strongest and most obscure.

Lady White Snake ordered White Lotus to guard the four gates strictly and not allow any breaches.

He himself was draped in a snow-white crane cloak and held the Azure Frost Magic Sword. On the high platform, he performed the steps of the Big Dipper, his figure swaying erratically as if riding the wind.

She straightened her clothes, devoutly lit incense, and began to set up the mysterious ritual of exorcising the stars.

First, according to the 365 degrees of the celestial sphere, the red banners representing the seven constellations of the Vermilion Bird in the south are precisely laid out. As the banners flutter, the faint sound of birdsong can be heard. Then, according to the supreme law of the five elements' mutual generation and restraint, the Li Fire Southern Brightness Array is set up. Streams of spiritual patterns flow on the ground, converging the fire of Bing and Ding in the south.

In the center of the altar, offerings of three kinds of sacrificial animals and wine were laid out to show piety; at the four corners of the formation, seven lanterns of the Big Dipper were lit, their flames displaying an extraordinary bluish-purple hue.

"Open the altar!"

With a clear shout from Bai Suzhen, she gestured with her jade hands towards the sky!
In an instant, the ancient platform, which was nine feet and nine inches tall, seemed to awaken from its slumber. The spiritual energy accumulated over thousands of years surged forth, and the platform radiated a soft yet incredibly bright light, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daytime!
What's even more astonishing is that when this radiance first appeared, it had already blended seamlessly with the power of the stars in the heavens, resonating with each other in a truly wondrous way!

It is said that the Liang Prince's Mansion and Li Daoren spent countless rare and precious materials and relied on many external forces to barely put together the formation, and it took ten years of effort to activate the star's spiritual light.

Bai Suzhen, with her own power and a single thought, created her own world, and the seven Big Dipper lamps shone brightly, as bright as miniature stars!

Why is there such a difference?
The reason why most ordinary star formations are made is that they worship the Big Dipper Star Lord and borrow his power, and then use the constellations to set up the Bagua formation and the Twenty-Eight Mansions formation. This is in accordance with the order of heaven and earth, and the process of reporting to higher levels is very complicated.

However, Bai Suzhen was offering sacrifices to the Zhongtian Fanqi Doumu Yuanjun during this ritual!

This deity is the mother of all the stars in the Big Dipper, Lady Ziguang, who governs all the stars and is the ancestor of all star lords.

It can be described as going straight to the point, inviting not a "department head" but the "group chairman" to personally observe and review her opening ceremony.

When it comes to one's own business, one only needs to consult and report to one's own mistress, so the procedures are naturally simplified and the obstacles are naturally cleared.

This is the true essence of a master's lineage!
His arrogance and sophistication far surpassed those of a certain wicked monk surnamed Xu who only knew "physical salvation" and "spiritual deception."
Bai Suzhen bowed deeply towards the void, a hint of embarrassment inevitably passing through her heart.

For the sake of a man, repeatedly inviting a revered deity of the highest order to come down from the mountain to attend the ceremony—even if there were reasons for it, such actions are still rather… a display of “filial piety” that has become overwhelming.

A fleeting thought passed by, quickly I focused my mind and calmed myself. The next crucial step was to chant incantations and perform the ritual steps to invite the gods to the altar!
She first gently blew a breath of innate true energy towards the southeast, then swung her peach wood sword through the air, the tip of the sword outlining a mysterious trajectory, defining the boundaries of the celestial realm.

Her body moved accordingly, turning three times to the left and four times to the right, her steps subtly conforming to the mysteries of the twenty-eight constellations' rotation. At the same time, a clear and solemn incantation rang out from her lips, echoing beneath the night sky:

"I beseech the Red Emperor of the South, and the two constellations of Wing and Chariot to hear my true words."

"The winged fire transforms into a snake that traverses the nine realms; the beak fire condenses into a monkey that illuminates the vast universe."

"A thousand years of cultivation yields fragrant offerings, ten thousand years of stars usher in a Dharma assembly."

"Hurry, hurry, as commanded by the law of Mars!"

The incantation had barely finished when a strange change occurred!
Suddenly, a three-foot-long blazing red light burst forth from the seemingly ordinary peach wood sword in her hand, like a rainbow piercing the sky, fiercely shooting straight towards the constellation of the Ox and the Dipper!

In an instant, the entire Ebo Terrace trembled slightly, as if the sky and earth were shaking. In response, a huge cloud hole with crimson flames burning on its edges was torn open in the southern sky, as if the eye of the sky had suddenly opened!

The lighting effects are absolutely amazing!
Xu Xuan, standing in the safe area below the stage, was holding the recording bead given to him by the Dragon Lord, faithfully recording this shocking scene.

His face was full of sighs and exclamations of "I knew it."

"That's it, that's it... that's the right way to do it!"

He thought to himself, "Every time Miss Bai makes her appearance, the atmosphere instantly shifts from 'martial arts intrigue' to 'a serious fantasy drama.' Flying swords crisscrossing the land, extraordinary powers, and mysterious formations—this is just too good!"

After finishing his reflections, he suddenly turned his gaze westward—towards the Liang Prince's Mansion.

The playfulness and ease in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by coldness and sharpness.

So next, it will be time for... armies to clash.

Inside the Liang Prince's Mansion, the lights were still on.

Our Prince Liang, the God of War, was leaning back on the couch, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest, Xu Xuan's "objective and fair" evaluation echoing repeatedly in his mind.

"This Xu Xuan... perhaps, he really can be recruited for my own use?"

He muttered to himself, the more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. "Although this person is a bit pedantic, his insight is indeed unique. He can see the young master's perseverance and courage. Moreover, he has a lot of integrity. He is unwilling to lie under the pressure of that old scoundrel Li Gongfeng and insists on his own opinion... He is a talented person."

Finally, with a hint of superiority, he concluded: "In the end, their wisdom and vision are still inferior to mine; they can't see the true trend of the times."

This war god was seriously analyzing the pros and cons, feeling extremely good about himself.

Although it was late at night, for some reason, I felt an inexplicable heat in my heart, not from lust, but from a jumble of thoughts surging uncontrollably. Xu Xuan's "appreciation," Li Gongfeng's "incompetence," my father's "expectations," my own future "grand plans"... all intertwined, making me restless and unable to sleep.

The coolness of a spring night should be refreshing, but the heat in people's hearts is like an undercurrent of subterranean fire, uncontrollable.

This is not ordinary restlessness, but an instinctive throbbing of the spirit under abnormal stellar disturbances.

He wasn't the only one like this.

Throughout the Liang Prince's mansion, from the night patrol guards to the princess consort secluded in the inner courtyard, everyone was inexplicably restless tonight, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

An invisible, unsettling atmosphere enveloped the Prince's residence.

By this time, some astute elders and those with spiritual cultivation had already sensed something was amiss. The hunting dogs in the courtyard had begun circling in place, barking occasionally.

...Could something terrible be about to happen?!

Of all the people present, the most nervous, or even horrified, was Li Gongfeng.

He experienced something similar!
Just as they used their secret technique to forcibly capture that "Great Fire Star Life", they were also enveloped by such a scorching, restless, and unsettling aura!

It will be a thousand times hotter and more violent than tonight!
"Oh no!" A jolt ran through my heart, and a chill shot from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head.

He immediately rushed out of the quiet room, carrying all his most treasured protective and exorcising magical artifacts, and arrived at the secluded courtyard where the "Star Destiny Container" was imprisoned as quickly as possible.

He pushed open the courtyard gate and rushed into the room to check on his "good apprentice's" condition.

The formation appeared to be operating smoothly, with runes shimmering and glowing. Little Song lay quietly in the center, breathing evenly...

"everything is normal?"

After a careful examination, Li Gongfeng found no signs of external impact on the formation, and the star power imprisoned within his body remained firmly locked.

The person on the bed showed no sign of pain; their face remained calm…

...It was too peaceful.

serene?

Li Gongfeng's pupils suddenly contracted!

In such an unusually turbulent environment of stellar energy, how could a vessel of stellar destiny remain completely unresponsive, or even sleep so peacefully?
The alarm bells are ringing in my heart!

Immediately, he heard the ear-piercing sound of countless heavy chains rubbing together and tightening to their limit. This sound did not come from the outside, but came directly from the depths of his "disciple's" body!

The temperature in the room suddenly soared, as if we had instantly plunged into a furnace!
The densely packed talismans pasted on the walls and beams rapidly turned black and curled up before the naked eye, and then turned into ashes.

The eighteen binding artifacts placed throughout the room simultaneously turned scorching hot and red-hot, their surfaces flashing with spiritual light, emitting a humming sound as if they were about to collapse under the strain.

The jade bed beneath him, which was meant to nourish the soul and suppress the vital energy, cracked open with a loud "crack," revealing several shocking cracks.

The most terrifying thing is the pearl that floats between the eyebrows as the core of the spirit-locking device. At this moment, it is emitting a large amount of blazing white steam, its volume shrinking rapidly with each breath, and its spirituality is being lost at an alarming rate.

A terrifying will, a mixture of stellar punishment and divine wrath, is erupting from the long-suppressed destiny of the stars.

An invisible red halo spread out from this center, instantly sweeping across the entire palace!

Just standing in the eye of the storm, Li Gongfeng felt as if he had been thrown into a raging inferno, his protective magic shield flickering erratically.

Even more terrifying, countless hallucinations and noises uncontrollably flooded into my mind:

"Traitor! Die!"

"There will never be a day when I attain enlightenment!"

"If you have the principles but not the skills, you can still acquire the skills; if you have the skills but not the principles, you will be limited to the skills alone."

Various noises from the past and from his inner demons assaulted him wildly, causing his eyes to turn bloodshot and his soul to feel as if it were being fried in a pan of oil, constantly turbulent.

At this critical moment of life and death, his Daoist mind almost collapsed, and all sorts of past events surfaced uncontrollably.

His path to success wasn't always so bleak. He once shone brightly, was hailed as a genius, and enjoyed the adulation of many.

Although the glory was only temporary.

The path of spiritual practice becomes increasingly demanding the higher one climbs, allowing no room for the slightest flaw.

Physical constitution, innate talent, opportunity, and fortune are all indispensable.

Ultimately, he lacked the exceptional talent to climb the path of cultivation. When he reached a critical juncture in his cultivation, he was stuck in the same place for decades, unable to make any progress. He watched helplessly as his fellow disciples surpassed him, while he himself was mired in the mire, with no hope for his path.

(End of this chapter)